"Is it safe?" by umpire Jerry Meals

"Is it safe?" by umpire Jerry Meals

I devoted almost 7 hours to this game. This was one great baseball game: 19 innings, with both teams trying squeeze plays in the extras to win, multiple instances of runners stranded in scoring position in the extra innings, great relief pitching by both teams, great defense by both teams... and horrible umpiring by Jerry Meals. Both teams were clearly frustrated by the balls and strikes, with the Braves' catcher and manager ejected in the 10th; the Pirates' Chase d'Arnaud had to walk away from arguing because the Pirates didn't have any position players left if he'd been ejected. But the calls were so bad he almost got tossed, out of frustration. I was also following the game on MLB Gameday, and PitchFX had some balls fully 6" off the plate as strikes, and others were 100% inside the box and called balls, not even close. The Braves were right to argue.

Anyhow, in the bottom of the 19th inning, at almost 2AM, this happened, a call so obviously wrong... honestly, I have never, ever seen a call so blatantly wrong.

Yes, it was a great game inspite of the umpire. This game, minus the umpiring is/was a prime example why NL, in my opinion, is a better watch then AL. I just prefer the "small ball", no DH, great offensive and defensive, as well as pitiching decisions that have to be made because the pitcher has to hit. I prefer to watch a 3-2 ball game then a 15-10 ball. However as a die hard Cleveland/Detroit/White Sox fan - I know mis-spent youth - when one of those teams makes it World Series, I gotta go the AL - Just hasn't happened very often over the past several decades

After 19 innings it could be Meals simply had a glazed over and tired brain fart at the moment. It was a blown call and he later admitted it. That's just part of baseball. It happens in just about every game except this one was an exceptional consequence in an unusual game that makes the news.

So what happens to Meals? A Fine?? Suspension?? Letter in his Personnel File?? Fired?? If a player did something wrong, that's what would happen. Maybe they should hire Roger Goodell as the Commish!

He didn't do anything wrong. He did his job. He happened to have blown a call, but it was not as cut and dried as everyone is making it out to be. The throw beat the runner by a mile, but the swipe tag just barely glanced the runner's leg. Yes, after the replays he was obviously out, but it was a closer call than it's being made out to be. The ump was standing right on top of the play and SHOULD have been able to make the correct call, but in a fraction of a second at 2:00 in the morning, I personally give the guy a break. Suggesting that he should be fined or suspended is a little silly.

I agree, and I know that we move on and the team has to look forward. It just galled me to stay up so late, to go to the edge so many times in extra innings with both teams getting runners in scoring position and the defenses and pitching holding, then to have the game decided that way.

Yes, I think that's what happened; his mind told him a story that wasn't the same as what his eyes saw, and he made the call, and it happened because he was exhausted too. Oh, well. Next.

I cannot understand why they do not want instant replays. Maybe even with instant replays, there would still be errors but they certainly would be reduced. IN my opinion it has worked in the NFL and college football. Most of the times the ref is right but even with the best of intentions, they have only a certain amount of ability and limitations.